Shock and blow proof watch



March 26, 1935. R. STRAUMANN 1,995,951

SHOCK AND BLOW PROOF WATCH Filed July 21, 1933 Patented Mar. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Switzerland, assignor to firm Fabrlques DHorlogerie Thommen S. A., Waldenburx, near Basel, Switzerland Application July 21, 1933, Serial No. 681,625 In Switzerland August 4, 1932 2 Claims.

A known way of meeting the risk of breaking the very delicate pivots in watches is to spring the bearing and cover jewels radially and axial- 1y. The mounting of springs for this purpose is however a very expensive solution of the problem. Further with such movable bearing parts it is possible for the lubricating oil to be drawn into the spaces in the spring mounting and so from the actual bearing surfaces. Experience shows that the said devices often do not serve their purpose.

In the shock and blow proof watch according to the invention, the problem is solved in a different, simpler way. The invention is characterized by the plate of the movement being connected to the watch case by a buffer ring in form of a ring shaped waved fiat spring standing edgewise in the case and so arranged that it enables shocks acting both radially and axially with respect to the plate or movement to be resiliently damped.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an example embodying the invention, only the mechanism for springing the plate being shown in detail, the bearing arrangement for the pivots being readily understood by diagrammatic illustration.

Figure l is a vertical section through the case of the watch;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof from below, with the bottom of the case removed;

Figures 3 and 4 show details on a reduced scale.

A ring shaped wavy fiat spring b stands edgewise in the watch case body a, resting on the bottom d of the case by lugs 0 provided on the lower edge of the fiat spring. The spring is also provided with a number of longitudinal slots f in its parts situated above the lugs c. The plate g of the movement is supported in the case a 40 by resting with a flange g on the edge 12 of the flat spring opposite to that having the lugs c.

The bottom d is spaced from the body a so that a free space h is left between them, while the diameter of the plate a or rather of the flange g is somewhat smaller than the internal diameter of the body a to provide a certain amount of play for the plate. The lugs c are so arranged with respect to the slots 1 that upon a blow or shock upon them the spring can yield at the slots in the axial direction of the watch. On the other hand the flat spring I) so bears against the inner wall of the case body and the outer wall of the movement that the latter is resiliently held in place in radial direction in the case, owing to the waves of the flat spring, see Figures 2 and 4. In this way the movement is protected against blows and shocks in the direction I (Figure 2) by the waves in the spring, and against blows in the direction II owing to the lugs c and slots f in the spring, and finally it is still protected in the direction III by the glass 1' which is of cellon and therefore resilient. In this way damping of shocks and blows is obtained in all directions.

Instead of longitudinal slots, the ring spring could be provided with openings of other shape, notches or recesses in general which would enable it to yield resiliently transverse to its length.

What I claim is:-

1. A shock and blow proof watch, comprising between the movement and the case an interconnecting yielding bufier ring in form of a ring shaped waved flat spring standing edgewise in the case with its edges between the bottom thereof and the movement while its waves contact alternately with the inner side wall of the case and the outer wall of the movement, so as to resiliently damp shocks in both the radial and axial directions with respect to the movement.

2. A shock and blow proof watch, comprising between the plate of the movement and the case an interconnecting buffer ring in form of a ring shaped waved fiat spring standing edgewise in the case and being provided with lugs and slots opposite thereto, said flat spring being so arranged between the bottom of the case and the movement as to resiliently damp shocks in both the radial and axial directions with respect to the movement.

REINHARD STRAUMANN. 

